Tourist attractions in Washington D.C. : The White House

The White House is located in central Washington D.C. The building is situated close to the National Mall, on a line directly north of the Washington Monument. The White House is one of the most renowned buildings in the world, as it is the working office and the home of the President of the United States. Located on the now famous 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House has been the seat of the US Presidential family for more than 200 years and has become a symbol for the United States and its ruling government.

Photo by Stephen D. Melkisethian

The history of the White House dates back to year 1790, when George Washington signed the Residence Act of 1790, which placed the government of the United States in Washington DC. With this, a new residence for the president had to be built. A design competition was arranged which won by an Irish-born architect named James Hoban, who beat the other eight competitors with his practical and handsome design. Being a true Irishman, Hoban’s design was inspired by the Leinster House in Dublin, Ireland, which later became the seat of the Irish parliament.  

Photo by timsackton

The foundation stone of the White House was laid in 1792 and the first residents, the second US president John Adams with family, moved in eight years later. The White House has been the home for the US presidents ever since. When the third president, Thomas Jefferson, moved into the house in 1801, he had the house expanded outward by creating two colonnades which were meant to serve as stables and storage. Today, these colonnades connect the west- and the east wing with the main residential building.

During The War of 1812 against the British, the White House was set on fire by the British after a successful attack on Washington DC. The fire destroyed much of the interior and damaged the exterior. The reparation project became a question of national pride, and the building was quickly repaired and began to serve its purpose once again in 1817.

Throughout the history, the White House has been subject for several smaller renovation projects and fire in the West Wing in 1929 caused further needs for repairs. All the restoration projects and expansions of the White House took place on the old building’s wooden frame. This forced a major renovation in the mid 20th century, known as the “Truman renovation”, where almost all the interior was renovated and the wooden frame was replaced with a reinforced steel frame.

As a means of preserving the history of the White House, no substantive architectural changes have been made on the main house since the Truman renovation. Every presidential family has made some changes to their private quarters of the White House, but changes to the State Rooms must all be approved by a special committee.

Today, the White House is a complex of buildings including the Executive Residence, the home of the presidential family. Connected to the main building by the western colonnade is the West Wing; the location of the Oval Office and the the official office building. On the other side we have the East Wing which includes the office of the First Lady and White House Social Secretary. The East Wing also holds the bunker, known as the Presidential Emergency Operation Center. The complex is massive. It is made up of six stories. The building-complex covers 5100 m² and has a total of 132 rooms. There is also plenty of opportunities for leisure activities within the White House, including a tennis court, jogging tracks, a swimming pool, a movie theater, and a bowling lane. The White House is probably one of the most famous of all US structures. In 2007, it was ranked second on the List of America's Favorite Architecture, a testament to the popularity of the building.

 
Text Source: worldsiteguides.com